ABSTRACT
In the last few decades, medical sociology, like the medical profession and society in general, is focusing more attention than ever on health and health-related behaviors. This focus has produced some important questions. What does it mean to be “healthy” or “well”? To what extent do people engage in behaviors that will promote health or prevent disease-or, at least, not engage in health-damaging behaviors? What are the strongest influences on participation in these positive and negative health behaviors? How do society and culture encourage living a healthy or not healthy lifestyle? To what extent should public policy attempt to regulate health-enhancing and health-harming behaviors?
